The Tomatin (Gaelic meaning ‘the hill of bushes’) distillery was built in 1897 and is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland sitting nearby the Hill of Parting which is where the Jacobite clans settled after their defeat at Colloden. The distillery was founded by a Japanese company and it is currently owned by a different Japanese company Takara Shuzo and Okura. The water source for this distillery is All-na-Frithe a burn which is found locally. This helps the distillery produce 5,000,000 litres of whisky each year which makes it one of largest producers in Scotland. The still room has 23 stills in total. The Tomatin 12 Years Old is the flagship single malt of the Tomatin distillery, smooth and easy to drink this single malt is the start of a whisky journey of outstanding quality and flavour. After spending time maturing in traditional oak casks, this particular Tomatin spends the last six to nine months of its maturation exclusively in Oloroso Sherry casks.

Introducing Proper No 12. Real Dublin character and smooth Irish Taste, founded by Conor McGregor. Proper No. Twelve is an ultra-smooth and approachable blend, with notes of vanilla, honey and toasted wood.

To add a unique depth of character and flavour, Teeling Single Malt consists of aged malt whiskey up to 23 years old that has been matured in five different wine casks including Sherry, Port, Madeira, White Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon. This combination of cask maturation techniques has never been done before in Irish whiskey and creates a truly innovative Irish whiskey bursting with personality. Like all the Teeling Whiskeys, it's bottled at 46% with no chill filtration, allowing for all the natural flavours of the Whiskey to be retained.

Launched in 2013 and now a regular bottling, this unusual release from the prodigious Swedish distillery is slightly smoky - hence the name "Svensk Rök", meaning "Swedish Smoke". Matured for an undisclosed period in a mix of 30-128 litre casks ranging from American oak, Swedish oak and ex-bourbon saturated with Oloroso, around 70% is peated. One of the tastiest expressions in the Mackmyra line up, Svensk Rok is also one of the best values, boasting melt-in-your-mouth flavours of salted citrus and vanilla along with all the sweet'n'smokey notes you'd expect, but with a twist: Mackmyra employ juniper branches to dry some of the malt, which makes sense, as juniper has been used to season food in Sweden for generations. It comes through at the finish as hints of menthol tobacco, smouldering potpourri and pine. The result is a distinctive local take on Scottish peated styles that really works. 46.1% Alc./Vol.

Grace O’Malley Heather Infused Irish Gin is made with 14 aromatic botanicals from the west of Ireland including heather, wild thyme, red clover, blackthorn, fraughan (bilberry) and rock samphire. A true, traditional-style gin made with modern distilling techniques to capture flavour intensity. Rounded and balanced with a fresh, floral finish.

Co-created by one of Scotland’s most awarded Master Distillers, Jim McEwan, together with Cape Byron Distillery Co-founder and distiller Eddie Brook are two new Australian takes on a classic Scottish single malt. Many readers will already know of Jim McEwan who has more than fifty years of experience in the whisky business, having worked at Bowmore for 38 years, before overseeing the rebirth of Bruichladdich and most recently helping to get new Islay distillery, Ardnahoe, off the ground. Two editions are on offer: A Chardonnay barrelled limited edition, and this, the Cape Byron 'Original', aged in Scotland's traditional vessel of choice: American oak x-Bourbon casks. Says Brook, “They go together like a match made in heaven. [The whisky is] not overly dominated by the oak, it’s letting the spirit sing, and we’re seeing this marriage.” What partly accounts for the distinctive style is that the pair have resisted the temptation to use smaller barrels to ‘accelerate’ the ageing process. It's the opposite approach of most Australian distillers. “...We’ve got this climate that gives us faster maturation. Now that’s great, but it can also get too much, you can get too much tannin and then over-oaking in your whisky, ” Brook explains. "To avoid this, we only mature in full format barrels, between 200 to 300 litres in size". Specially designed warehousing facilities further offset Byron’s temperature extremes. According to McEwan, another factor is the distillery's proximity to the coast. “Walk down the barrel room... you’re getting that marine character and influence coming through" he says. "That moisture is falling on the oak staves, and slowly but surely, there’ll be a residue of salt and eventually as the whisky moves in and out, as the temperature increases, the alcohol will expand and it will touch the salt, and pull it back, and that brings a unique marine freshness to the spirit – quite different from anything else...” No surprise that McEwan reckons fans of Bruichladdich might taste some similarities in the Cape Byron spirit. “They’re not dissimilar. There’s no peat, [Eddie’s] using American oak, I used a lot of American oak Bourbon casks as well. I’ve used wine casks – and you’ve got all the wine casks there. There’s a similarity there between what I was doing in Islay and what Eddie’s doing here." As for the taste? Can't say there are many like this - either here or abroad - but you can appreciate why McEwen draws comparisons with Bruichladdich. Cape Byron's Original is a creamy, near voluptuous malt that defies its age. Peaches and cream come through with sweet barley and shortbread on the nose. The co-mingling of dried mango and juicy malt with the Bourbon vanilla aspects is nicely done, and there's a spicy edge adding vibrancy. At the finish, more peaches and cream, dried mango and a little grilled pineapple, pepper and coastal freshness develop. It's a whisky less about overt complexity, all about generous mouthfeel and precocious flavour. No doubt that equation will change over time. Right now, the creative forces behind the project have guaranteed one of the more compelling Aussie releases in recent years. Matured for three years in 200 litre ex-Buffalo Trace Bourbon casks. 47% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Batch 001 tasted. Notes from the producers... The colour of a Byron Bay sunset. The palate offers soft vanilla, creme brulee and biscotti characters, layered over distinct notes of pear, coconut and buttery macadamia.

Writers Tears Pot Still Irish Whiskey delivers a wonderful combination of soft bourbon notes with an undercurrent of light malt with crisp, mouth watering bursts of honey and spice. This is a throwback to the last century in Ireland where spiced Pure Pot Still Whiskey was married with floral single malt.

A liqueur that truly appeals to the Irish Whiskey lover; all the finest qualities of whiskey amplified with luscious honeycomb sweetness. On the nose it is full of cinder toffee, honeycomb, vanilla & old fashioned cream soda. There are flavours of honey & caramel balanced by whiskey & gentle vanilla spice. Its gorgeous finish is long, sweet & very smooth, making it the perfect after-dinner drink, cocktail ingredient or simply add some ice & enjoy!

From first fill of bourbon casks creating a creamy, sweet and smoky single malt whisky is Bowmore No. 1.

Jameson Single Pot Still embodies the traditional Irish Whiskey making style after which it is named. Malted and unmalted barley is triple distilled for a rich, unmistakable silkiness with distinctive pot still spiciness. This Five Oak Cask Release is matured in a combination of three different types of virgin oak (Irish, European and American), in addition to ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The finished result is a whiskey that is equal parts complex and smooth. For over two centuries, Jameson has perfected the art of whiskey-making, staying true to our heritage since 1780. Our smoothness is legendary, thanks to our signature triple distillation process. Blending rich pot still whiskey with the finest grain whiskey, both distilled thrice, ensures unparalleled quality in every bottle. With barley grown locally in Ireland and water sourced from the Dungourney river, our whiskey truly embodies the essence of our homeland. Enjoy the taste of tradition in every sip of Jameson.